Achieving Olive Oil Freedom | Lisbon’s Average Spend is 13 Euros 🍃

Many years ago, when I first arrived in Lisbon, I loved going to the most bustling areas, those fashionable and fancy restaurants. Now, I prefer to avoid tourist areas and seek out places where locals love to eat, not caring about the decor, but focusing on genuine value for money. (Because restaurants in tourist areas rely on foot traffic and still have customers even if the food isn’t great. But restaurants in residential areas have to be genuinely good to survive). Today’s lunch was at a small eatery we frequent. We ordered the Prato do dia (Dish of the day), two soups, bread, cheese, olives, a stewed lamb dish, and a spiced black pork dish. The side dishes were rice 🍚 and vegetables, very delicious and perfect for my Chinese palate 💯 🎈In Portugal, olive oil is as common as air, and the country is renowned for the quality of its olive oil, being the sixth-largest producer in the world. It was the Arabs during their occupation in the 8th century who intensified the cultivation of olive trees. The word “azeite” (olive oil in Portuguese) originates from Arabic - it comes from “az-zait,” meaning olive juice. Even in the most ordinary restaurant on the street, the basic condiment for salads or bread is olive oil, served generously. Cooking dishes is also mainly with olive oil. The olive oil at this restaurant is no joke, Gallo extra virgin olive oil, a brand that can be found on the tables of ordinary Portuguese homes. It’s no small fry either, being the most awarded Portuguese olive oil brand globally in 2023. Located in the Alcantara neighborhood, it’s actually only a 3-minute walk from the must-visit Lx Factory in Lisbon! Because some restaurants in the center of Lisbon have increased their prices in the past two years, I was surprised to find that what used to be an average of 20 euros is now 35-40 euros. So, I was still taken aback when the bill came to 27.5 euros. 💰Average cost per person: 10-15 euros 🦐Specialty: Seafood rice (13.5 euros for a single portion, 25 euros for a double portion) #Portugal #LocallyRecommendedRestaurants #PortugalTravel #PortugueseCuisine #LisbonRestaurantRecommendations #LisbonFoodExploration #TreasureRestaurantShare #MagnifyTheSmallJoysOfLife #GlobalFoodieSquad